Record numbers of suspensions are being handed out as schools across England report increasing problems with challenging student behaviour.
The latest figures from the Department for Education (DfE, 2024) reveal a sharp rise in the number of exclusions and suspensions.
They show a total of 263,904 suspensions handed out during the spring term 2022/23 – the highest number ever recorded and an average of 3.13 per 100 pupils.
It is a notable rise on the previous spring term (2021/22) when 201,090 suspensions were recorded (2.4/100), although this rise can be explained by the sharp drop in suspensions seen during Covid (see figure 1).
Nonetheless, the current rate of suspensions is notably higher than pre-Covid figures, which tended to stay around the 120,000 to 150,000 mark for the spring term.
